Small, lightweight, mobile utility vehicles, powered by internal combustion engines, are widely used in industrial and commercial settings and off-road applications. Such vehicles are commonly found in outdoor, or other unheated environments, such as at airports or warehouses. Such applications require that the passenger cabins be heated without extensive heating systems. It is well known to use the exhaust gas heat to heat outside air and move it into the passenger cabin. The air-carrying tubes in such systems must be readily accessible for inspection, service and replacement when needed. Prior art heating systems can be relatively inaccessible, too complicated to service or not sufficiently resistant to corrosive conditions in the exhaust systems.
The foregoing illustrates limitations know to exist in prior art utility vehicle heating systems. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of theses limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including the features more fully disclosed hereinafter.